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‘Former South Korea’s President, Park Will Not Appeal Jail Term’

Channels TelevisionUpdated April 16, 2018

FILE COPY South Korea’s President Park Geun-Hye bowing after addressing the nation at the presidential Blue House in Seoul. Park Geun-Hye was found guilty of abuse of power, bribery and coercion by a Seoul court on April 6. Photo Credit: LEE JAE-WON / POOL / AFP

South Korea’s former President, Park Geun-Hye, will not appeal her 24-year prison sentence for corruption, reports said Monday.

Park, 66, who was removed from office over a massive corruption scandal last year, was convicted of multiple criminal charges including bribery and abuse of power at a trial earlier this month.

She has boycotted all court hearings since October, claiming unfair treatment.

On Monday Park submitted an appeal waiver to the Seoul Central District Court to override an appeal filed by her younger sister last week, Yonhap news agency cited court officials as saying.

But an appeal hearing will nonetheless take place as prosecutors are seeking harsher punishment.

The Yonhap report said Park would boycott the process.

The wide-ranging corruption scandal which broke last year prompted massive street protests against Park across the country and led to her impeachment.

Park and her close confidante Choi Soon-sil were the key figures in the scandal involving charges of graft, influence-peddling and taking bribes from corporate bigwigs in exchange for policy favours.